Dr. Vandana Shiva is trained as a Physicist and did her Ph.D. on the subject “Hidden Variables and Non-locality in Quantum Theory” from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She later shifted to interdisciplinary research in science, technology and environmental policy, which she carried out at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, India. 

In 1982, she founded an independent institute, the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology in Dehra Dun dedicated to high quality and independent research to address the most significant ecological and social issues of our times, in close partnership with local communities and social movements. In 1991, she founded Navdanya, a national movement to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seed, the promotion of organic farming and fair trade.

In 2004 she started Bija Vidyapeeth, an international college for sustainable living in Doon Valley in collaboration with Schumacher College, U.K. Earth University is a place to learn from nature and sustainable traditions and holistic knowledge systems. As it was founded in the spirit of Gandhian principles and self-organization, the atmosphere and well-being of everyone at Earth University must be created by each individual and group that comes to stay here.

Dr. Shiva combines the sharp intellectual enquiry with courageous activism. She is equally at ease working with peasants in rural India and teaching in Universities worldwide. Time Magazine identified Dr. Shiva as an environmental “hero” in 2003 and Asia Week has called her one of the five most powerful communicators of Asia. Forbes magazine in November 2010 has identified Dr. Vandana Shiva as one of the top seven most Powerful Women on the Globe. Dr. Shiva published books The Violence of Green Revolution and Monocultures of the Mind, and Biopiracy, Stolen

Harvest, Water Wars, etc. Dr. Shiva chairs the Commission on the Future of Food set up by the Region of Tuscany in Italy. She is a Board Member of the International Forum on Globalisation and a member of the Steering Committee of the Indian People’s Campaign against WTO. She also serves on Government of India Committees on Organic Farming.

Executive Director of Indiginous Information Network, Indigenous Women Climate Defenders: Kenya

The Indigenous Information Network (IIN) is a women-led organization that connects Indigenous Peoples, sustains their communities and strengthens their demands for human rights.

Founded in 1996, the Indigenous Information Network (IIN) is a women-led organization that works to connect Indigenous Peoples in Kenya and strengthen their demands for human rights. With support from MADRE and IIN, Indigenous women are equipped and trained to adapt and respond to the dangers of climate breakdown. They leverage their traditional knowledge and develop sustainable agriculture and income-generating projects. They also participate in local and global policymaking to influence decisions that affect their livelihoods. Their voices are crucial to the international conversation around the role of women in combating climate catastrophe.

Founder of Shomrei Adamah, Keepers of the Earth

Rabbi Ellen Bernstein founded Shomrei Adamah, Keepers of the Earth, the first national Jewish environmental organization in 1988. She is the author of numerous articles and books on Judaism and Ecology including Ecology & the Jewish Spirit, The Splendor of Creation and a new ecologically rooted Passover Haggadah, The Promise of the Land. This year in advance of the 50th anniversary or Earth Day, she is seeding and supporting Passover Earth Seders.

Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment Programme

Joyce Msuya is the Deputy Executive Director of UNEP. She was appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in August 2018. Between November 2018 and June 2019, Ms. Msuya served as interim Executive Director, overseeing UNEP’s portfolio in 33 countries, and administering nine Multilateral Environmental Agreements on critical environmental issues. Ms. Msuya has more than 20 years of extensive experience in international development strategy, operations, knowledge management and partnerships, across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Director for The Rome Centre for Sustainable Development under United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in close collaboration with Italian Government (Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition).

The Centre focuses on three priority areas notably: Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Nature Protection. In her role, she provides strategic leadership on these matters through convening, collaboration, connecting and co-creation as the world navigates complexity and uncertainty, with the aim of achieving the SDGs collectively. Her ambition is that this work is done with a Systems Thinking lens and also Systems Leadership. She has over 25 years’ experience in environmental and conservation issues globally. She is also the Chair of the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration (GPFLR). She is also the Founder of the Network of African Women Environmentalists (NAWE).

She has published widely in various journals, newspapers, articles and contributed to book chapters. Before joining UNDP, Musonda was the head of United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP’s Terrestrial Ecosystems Programme and served in various roles over a period of 12 years. Before working for UNEP, Musonda worked for the Zambian Government, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (in Switzerland), WWF (at International, UK and East Africa Regional Offices) and as such working with governments on Africa, Asia and Latin America.